Hinge

ABSTRACT

A hinge, particularly for doors, having a support element ( 11, 12 ) for a hinge-pin ( 13 ), the support element having a hinge-plate ( 11 ) for installation in a door casing, and a lower sleeve ( 12 ) which is designed to support a hinge-pin ( 13 ). The hinge-pin ( 13 ) supports an upper sleeve ( 14 ), which is connected to an upper hinge-plate ( 15 ), for connection with the door leaf. On the hinge-pin ( 13 ) is arranged at lest one sleeve ( 23 ), particularly of a plastic material. The sleeve ( 23 ) has an axial hole ( 25 ), for a part ( 19 ) of the hinge-pin ( 13 ), where the hole ( 25 ) is eccentrically located in relation to the axis of the sleeve and to its outer surface, as the sleeve ( 23 ) is arranged to be pivotable in the accommodating sleeve ( 12 ).

This application is a filing under 35 USC 371 of PCT/NO2004/000027 filedJan. 29, 2004.

The present invention relates to a hinge, especially for use on doors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the hinging of doors for offices, housing, and various institutions,a hinge is normally provided, having a pin supported casing, and on thiscasing a detachable, attached sleeve is supported on the door leaf.Hinges like this have two disadvantages: firstly, the door leaf sags,either because of wear and tear, or because the parts are displaced, forexample, due to of overstrain, and secondly, the door leaf is inclinedto the extent that it is touching the casing at the underside.

Norwegian Patent application 20010820 discloses a door hinge having asupport element for a hinge-pin, where the support element has a lowerhinge-plate for mounting in a door casing, and a sleeve which isdesigned for support on the hinge-pin. The sleeve is connected to anupper hinge-plate for connection to a door leaf. On the hinge-pin is asleeve, particularly of a plastic material, having a bushing withannular flanges at the free ends, which is capable of pivoting inrelation to the sleeve. The bushing is duplex, comprising two bushingparts, where the annular flange creates an axial gliding surface againstthe opposite surfaces on the sleeve. The sleeve has a recess in at leastone end, for receiving the annular flange on the adjacent part of thebushing.

This solution has no opportunity for elevation of the door leaf, whichhas sagged so much that it touches the door casing at the underside, andno opportunities for adjustment of the obliquity, where the door leafclamps in the door casing, both sidewise and/or at the lower edge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the invention is to improve the known hinge in such away that the disadvantages described above are eliminated. Also,simplification is desirable such that there are as few parts aspossible, to provide the easiest possible way to install the hinge.

Further, it is an object of the invention to manufacture the hinge asinexpensively as possible, and ensuring it is as easy as possible tomaintain and adjust so that no special training or knowledge isrequired.

The hinge should also be lubrication free.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is described in claim 1, and particularly advantageousfeatures are described by the following claims 2-6.

Firstly, this hinge provides an opportunity for the adjustment of anyoblique inclination that may cause sidewise obstruction. This makes iteasy to install the hinge and door satisfactorily.

Furthermore, the hinge provides adjustment of the height of the doorleaf, in such a way that restriction to movement is avoided at theunderside. Both forms of adjustment may be done without any specialtraining or instructions. This makes the novel hinge very user-friendly.

The invention may primarily be used for door leaves that are supportedby two hinges, i.e. interior doors for housing, offices, hotels andinstitutions where it is sufficient to have two hinges per door leaf.

BRIEF DESCRTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail below and with reference tothe drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a hinge according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the hinge-pin with theunderlying sleeve and the corresponding adjustment screw,

FIG. 3 shows a section through the perspective view of the lower sleeve,and

FIG. 4 shows a partial sectioned perspective view of the sleeve in FIG.3, with the hinge-pin and the adjustment screw mounted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, shown is a hinge according to the invention. It comprises acasing hinge-plate 11, designed for mounting to a door casing (notshown), a lower sleeve 12 integrated with casing hinge-plate 11 tosupport hinge-pin 13 as shown further in FIG. 2. The hinge furthercomprises an upper sleeve 14, which is integrated with door hinge-plate15, designed for being mounted to a door leaf (not shown) to keep itpivotable. The hinge-plates 11 and 15 are provided with fourcountersunked holes 16 for screws, and pressed tongues 17 which can matewith corresponding recesses 18 in the reciprocal hinge-plate to lock thehinge. The hinge-plates and the corresponding sleeves are manufacturedof steel, having a practical surface finishing. For the mounting of adoor leaf, preferably two hinges, according to the invention, are used.

In FIG. 2, a hinge-pin 13, having a lower cylindrical part 19, an uppercylindrical part 20, and in between, a flange 21, designed in steel isshown. The free ends of the two cylindrical parts 19 and 20, have achamfered edge 22. Further, a lower sleeve 23 in plastic material,having a cylindrical main part 24, with an eccentric hole 25 for thehinge-pin 13, and an end flange 26 having a lug 27 standing out, isshown. At the edge of the sleeve, up to the lug 27, there can be appliedmarkings (not shown) thereby creating a scale for the actual range ofpivoting. The eccentricity (the axial displacement) may be in the rangeof 0.5-2 mm. FIG. 2 shows a hexagonal screw 28 designed for insertion insleeve 23 from below, as shown in FIG. 4 and described below. In theupper sleeve 14, in the door hinge-plate 15, there is inserted acorresponding sleeve 29, (FIG. 1), having concentric or eccentric holesfor the upper part 20 of the shaft extrusion 13.

FIG. 3 shows a section through the lower sleeve 23. The eccentriclocated hole 25 for the lower part 19 of the hinge-pin 13, extends downto a thread area 30, which, from below, is insertion of the hexagonalscrew 28, having meshing grooves facing downwards. This is accessiblefrom below, through a lower part 31 of the opening, which has ahexagonal profile for meshing of a wrench or other pivoting tool. Thesleeve 23 is of dimension, which results in a tight sliding fit againstthe lower sleeve 12.

In FIG. 4, the lower sleeve 23 is shown with the shaft extrusion 13 andthe hexagonal screw 28 assembled. The flange 21 of the hinge-pin 13 maybear against the flange 26, but for adjustment of the hexagonal screw28, this can support the hinge-pin and hold this, in such a way that agap is created between the two flanges 21 and 26.

The position of the door leaf may be adjusted in elevation by turningthe hexagonal screw 28. In this way an ensuing sag can be eliminated, sothat pinching is avoided at the lower edges of the door leaf.

The position of the door leaf may, in the aforementioned example of anembodiment, be adjusted sidewise by means of the lower sleeve 23. Bypivoting the sleeve 23, the eccentric location of the inner hole 25 forthe hinge-pin will provide displacement of the turning axis of the door.In addition, to prevent pinching, this will ensure neutral location ofthe door leaf.

At least one sleeve for each door has been designed with eccentriclocation of the inner hole 25. The hole can be located in both the lowerand upper part of the hinge, and can be arranged in the lower or upperhinge or in both. This means that the sleeve, having eccentric holes,can be located independent of the screw, for adjustment of the height ofthe hinge-pin, even though this is a less favourable solution.

Materials, other than the ones used in the example above, can also beused.

1. A hinge for doors comprising: a lower hinge plate constructed andarranged for attachment to a door casing through exposed screw holes,the lower hinge plate having integrated therewith a lower supportsleeve; an upper hinge plate constructed and arranged for attachment toa door through exposed screw holes, the upper hinge plate havingintegrated therewith an upper sleeve, the lower hinge plate and theupper hinge plate being substantially identical and interchangeable; thelower support sleeve and the upper sleeve each including a bushingdisposed and fitting closely therein, each said bushing beingcylindrical between first and second ends and having an axial holetherein for placement of a hinge pin; and a hinge pin extending betweenthe bushing of the lower support sleeve and the bushing of the uppersleeve and passing through the axial holes of the bushings, the hingepin being supported by the lower support sleeve, and carrying the uppersleeve, wherein the axial hole of at least one of the bushings iseccentric to the axis of the bushing, and the at least one bushing withthe eccentric axial hole comprises a radial flange at the first endthereof, accessible between the upper sleeve and the lower supportsleeve, from outside the hinge to enable rotation of the bushing, andwherein the bushing of the lower support sleeve is internally threadedbelow the axial hole, and carries an externally threaded screw therein,which can be rotated to lift the hinge pin.
 2. A hinge according toclaim 1, wherein the eccentricity to the axis is about 0.5-2 mm.
 3. Ahinge according to claim 1, wherein the lower bushing includes theflange, and the hinge pin includes a flange which rests on the flange ofthe lower bushing.
 4. A hinge according to claim 1, wherein the at leastone flange having the eccentric hole comprises an indicator lug.